


Tom and the Invasion

by Vinnocent



Series: Slugs [1]
Category: Animorphs - Katherine A. Applegate
Genre: Cannibalism, Gen, Gore, Mind Control, Violence
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-11-15
Updated: 2012-11-17
Packaged: 2017-11-18 18:14:52
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 5
Words: 7,487
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/563978
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Vinnocent/pseuds/Vinnocent
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Tom witnesses the start of galactic war on earth from the backseat of his own brain.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter One (Landing)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> When a Fighter lands in an abandoned construction site, Tom is called into the dangerous situation as backup.

My name is Thomas Berenson. I live with my brother and my parents in Vallejo, California. I'm 16, and I'm the lead scorer for the basketball team at my high school. I joined the Sharing because of a girl.

Things were never supposed to be like this.

There was a different girl sitting next to me when the pager went off, vibrating in my back pocket. The secret pager my parents and brother didn't know I had. The one I would pray that they never found. Among other things.

I haven't been religious until lately. It's all I have left. Those blue boys aren't coming. My friends and family haven't noticed that anything is wrong. I don't know what I'd do if they did.

So I pray. I pray, pathetic and needy. I pray a lot to anyone who can still hear me. Please, magic fairy, grant me my wish.

I didn't check the pager. That would be admitting that it's there. I excused myself from the girl and walked out of the screening room. I went to the payphones by the restroom and checked the number on the pager while digging quarters out of my pocket. The number belongs to the vice principal of my brother's school. Specifically, it belongs to the mobile phone he keeps in his car so his daughter doesn't find it. I called the number.

"Temrash two-five-two." The words spilled from my mouth. "Why the page?"

"Blues are here." My heart leapt into my throat. It was quickly shoved down again. "Do you know the construction site across from the galleria?"

"The one we bought to prevent the crews from breaking the upper foundations?"

"Yes. Be there. Be armed. Stay back until called forward, but be there."

"Armed? Sir, I don't--." But he had already hung up. "I'm in recruitment," I grumbled, replacing the phone. There was no weapon issued to me. There was no reason I would need it. There was no war here.

The year was 1996. I don't remember the month anymore; it didn't take long for the specifics to start blurring together. I didn't need them anymore. I remember the basketball season was starting up again. I remember the weather was nice.

I left the theater. The girl would forgive me. I wished that she wouldn't. I wished that she would notice.

It was dark already, but by the time I arrived at the site, two Bugs had already arrived. They lit the Fighter and the gravel it sat among with brilliant red spotlights. The Fighter seemed to glow in response. A fire in hell. In front of these three, was the Blade. That Blade. His Blade.

I was looking at two of them. Theirs. Him. Standing there and loudly mocking to all who could hear. And then the other. Battered and burned. He could barely stand. I recognized him. One of the princes. He'd been in some of the propaganda. He'd killed a lot of them in the war. He'd probably killed more tonight. Not enough. Not enough, or he wouldn't be here.

Why was he out of his Fighter? The Fighter would offer him some advantage for a short while. At the very least, it would allow him to kill himself in peace before they could interfere. Instead, he stood on shaking legs, head high, in front of dozens upon dozens of his enemies. Before his greatest, most dangerous, most despised enemy. It wasn't like his kind.

"Did we drag him out?" I asked one of the others already gathered at the far back. They didn't really want us unless absolutely necessary. We weren't advantageous in a fight. That was good to know. Soldiers were more likely to die.

She blinked at me. _It's her,_ I realize. The girl who'd recruited me. "No. He was already out." She sneered as she returned her attention to the scene before us. "He knows his failure."

"Yes," I said. It was obvious that there was a lack of belief, but she didn't notice. Blues would never risk losing another body to them.

He was still ranting. I don't understand the point of mocking a fallen soldier. The end is always the same. Maybe it's good for morale. He tells him that he is going to kill his family. No, not kill. Recruit. Recruit to his own side. And that he will listen to them scream.

The prince struck, his blade whipping forth so fast that I couldn't see it. He twisted his head aside, and the prince missed a head strike but still got him in the shoulder. My hand lifted to my mouth to pretend that a snicker was an expression of horror.

The whole thing was a distraction. A Shredder beam from his Tail-Fighter dissolved a Bug Fighter. Even then, at the end, he was brilliant. This was what a prince was.

<Fire!> He yelled. <Burn his ship!>

I ducked in anticipation of the blinding light. Dracons from the remaining Bug Fighter tore his ship apart.

<Take the Andalite,> Visser Three ordered. <Hold him for me.>

Three Hork-Bajir, massive lizards from another planet, grabbed the Andalite to hold him still. To prepare him. Of course, they were not the ones holding him any more than I was standing in preparation of a command. Appearances, appearances.

I looked around. There was no portable pool. No one was expecting this, but still... Shouldn't it have been out by now? Wasn't there one on the Blade Ship?

And then Visser Three began to change. Oh. Of course. Acquiring another Andalite would mean a loss of power for Visser Three. He didn't get where he was by being stupid.

Well...

Some hideous tentacled creature with a massive maw roared in the place where Visser Three once stood. An Antarean Bogg. My hands twitched as I tried to cover my ears. But they didn't move. Better to go deaf than to appear insubordinate. This from someone who had been snickering when his boss was attacked.

The Hork-Bajir and Taxxons were nothing in comparison. We both knew what that mouth was for. As those tentacles seized the Andalite prince from the Hork-Bajir's grips, there would be no wincing. There would be no looking away. We must all show our pride to see a living being, a brave soldier, and one of the last hopes left devoured by that gaping maw.

The boss made a dumb joke. Everyone laughed. I laughed. The Hork-Bajir huffed. The Taxxons... made Taxxon noises. I suppose that must have been laughter, too.

Then a call went up from a Hork-Bajir. They didn't wait for an order from the Visser. Someone had seen. Someone had been there. The only thing to do was chase.

There was swearing in my head as I was handed a portable Dracon. It looks like a plastic play thing. I was shoved forward. More swearing. I headed toward the sound, away from the lights of the ships. Of course, I tripped over a low wall. This was not my job. I was in recruitment.

"Gafrash fit nahar!" one of them called, back amongst the half-finished buildings.

I tried to push myself to my feet, and my hand landed in something disgusting. Vomit. Great. I was on my feet when it was realized that the vomit was still warm. It was recent. It had happened just then. We were far too accustomed to disgusting sights to throw up when an Anterean Bogg eats an Andalite. And, of course, Andalites can't throw up.

Humans. We were chasing humans.

<Well, that makes things easier,> said Temrash 252. I feel sick. I don't want to kill humans. Which is ridiculous. Killing them is better than converting them. I wished that someone had killed me instead. But the idea of it made me sick. There was no pretending with death. No convincing yourself that someone was going to do what you couldn't. No conviction that there's still a slim chance of being saved.

Dead is dead.

I smeared my hand on my jeans and headed toward the building the Hork-Bajir was calling from. "Run!" I heard a human voice scream. Terror. Too distant to recognize the voice. That's what I told myself. It was far too distant for either of us to possibly recognize.

He didn't believe me. He smiled with my lips.

I couldn't see inside the cluster of dark shops. I had a weapon and no flashlight. Wonderful.

Chapman was already inside. He had a flashlight, of course. I could hear him giving orders. "Whoever you find, kill. Just save the head; bring that to me, and we can identify it."

He smiled again. <They don't know who it is,> he realized.

<No one important. Just some random kids caught in the site at the wrong time.>

<Kids, huh?>

I felt sick again. <Maybe. Or a homel-->

Someone screamed. A different scream than I had heard before. That was what I told myself.

In the end, it had turned out to be a homeless man. Mostly, it was assumed that was who we were looking for, but Temrash told Iniss that his host thought it was kids. <Screw you. Don't make me sound like I'm a volunteer.> He ignored me.

"Alright," said Chapman. "We'll do interviews and investigations starting in the morning. In the meantime, you should get home before your parents suspect."

<They're not _your_ parents. You don't have parents, you stupid little monster. >

<I'm so hurt. Truly, you have injured me.>

<Shut up.>

<No.>

The rest of the drive home, he shoved Hork-Bajir songs into brain just to annoy me. As I pulled the car into the driveway by his will alone, I saw the light switch off in Jake's bedroom as he went to sleep. He'd been home all along. I felt horrible, aching relief. Someone was going to die soon, but it would be someone else.


	2. Chapter Two (Morning)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tom watches his life lead by someone else as his brother begins to behave strangely.

I woke up to the sound of Mom pounding on the door. Not my door. Jake's.

Temrash shoved me back into sleep again. There was no reason we had to get up if she wasn't yelling at us. We were going to be out late tonight, and he didn't want to muck about in my brain functions more than necessary.

No school that day. School the day before. So I guess it was... Saturday. Right.

When I woke again, there were dogs barking. I'd been woken by the one in Jake's room, but there was definitely a responding bark outside.

Grumbling, I went to the window. Homer, my brother's golden retriever, paced the yard. If Homer was in the yard...

More barking from Jake's room. I threw on a t-shirt and jeans from the floor and groggily shoved myself out of my bedroom. Except I wasn't the one doing the throwing and shoving. I was definitely the groggy one, though, and Temrash hurriedly pumped my brain with stimulans. <What happened to not mucking about?>

<I'm not mucking. This is very simple neurochemisry which you engage in every time you have a Coke.>

<I don't have Cokes. You have Cokes for me.>

<Oh, shut up. I'm busy.>

I considered retaliating with verses of _The Cat Came Back_ , but it was far too early for that.

Temrash reached for Jake's doorknob. "Tom?" my mother called.

"Ffffit," Temrash hissed under my breath. I took the stairs two at a time, to join her in the kitchen as quickly as possible. "Yeah?"

She cupped her hand over the phone reciever. "Please tell your brother to do something about that dog. I'm on the phone."

"I was just about to."

"Thank you, dear," she said in a way that made it obvious that she wasn't listening anymore. Temrash didn't care. I did.

My mother's name is Jean Berenson. She was a freelance writer. She's... 43, I think? I have no idea if she's alive.

Temrash knocked on Jake's door. "Jake, you got Homer in there with you?" He started to open the door. "Mom's on the phone. Stop him yapping--." The door was opened, and he looked around. "Who are you?" he demanded.

<Wow, rude. Not as rude as brain thievery, but I thought you wanted to play pretend.>

"I'm Tobias. I'm a friend of Jake's." I'd never heard of this kid before, and I didn't recognize him. Admittedly, I hadn't paid a lot of attention, lately. His clothes didn't fit, which Temrash evaluated to possibly be a sign of an Andalite, but he also looked underfed, which is definitely not the form a morph would take. He was standing next to what Temrash noticed to be a collarless Homer. I pointed out that Homer never wore a collar inside the house.

"Well, where is he?" Temrash asked, looking at the dog more than Tobias. He was trying to figure out which was which.

"Oh, he's around."

Temrash looked down at the dog. Homer, as usual, found him curious. Normally, I would have taunted him about the fact that dogs can smell evil. This time, I decided not to goad him.

"Bad dog," Temrash chided it strongly. "You keep quiet. _Bad_ dog." I'm fairly certain he would have spoken to a Hork-Bajir in the same voice.

Homer tucked his tail between his legs and whimpered, ashamed of himself. We were both convinced that an Andalite would have bitten him. Satisfied, he decided that the Homer in the yard was a copy and left to fetch the Dracon from where he'd hidden it away. However, when he got to the yard, there was only one Homer, being put away by Jake. He quickly backtracked before Jake could see the weapon.

He resolved not to tell his superiors about what happened. As much as I'd love to sabotage his career, I didn't want Jake getting recruited. So I'd be telling the Hork-Bajir guards nothing as well.

Almost as soon as Mom was off the phone, Jake was on it. Temrash turned down ESPN, which he hadn't really been watching anyway, to attempt to listen in on the conversation. He didn't get much though, and it was irritating him. He knew there would be a meeting about the Andalite and the homeless man soon, and he wanted the phone line open to recieve that call.

He decided I need feeding, and I went to the kichen where Jake was attempting to have his conversation. I grabbed a piece of toast from the stack Mom had left out for us. Temrash pretended to be mildly surprised. "Oh, there you are."

Jake flustered, glancing between the phone and me. "Yeah. Tobias said you were looking for me before."

I shrugged. "I just wanted you to shut your dog up." I turned a chair around and straddled it.

Jake frowned at me, not liking the interruption. _Good,_ Temrash decided. _Maybe he'll leave._ "I'll just see you in a couple hours, okay?" His voice was gentle and pleading. He wasn't talking to Marco. He hung up the phone and turned to me, looking vaguely guilty about something. I was leaned forward in anticipation. "I, uh... I didn't make the team."

"What team?" And there it was. Big damn clue. Please realize that something's wrong. Please don't figure out what it is.

Jake was aghast. "What team?" he repeated. "The basketball team. _Your_ old team." Well, that was kind of... sad. Jake was thirteen. The Junior team wasn't held to very high standards.

The right thing to do would be to give him a half-hug and tell him we could practice and he would make it next time. Instead, I shrug again. "Oh. Too bad."

<You are the worst of actors.>

<Yes, which is why everyone can tell what's wrong with you,> Temrash taunted me, and the words hit home.

But Jake did notice. He was looking at me like I'd grown horns. "Too bad?" he repeated.

"It's just sports," Temrash said, reaching back for a second piece of toast and munching it casually.

"Just sports?"

<You're doing this on purpose,> I realized in horror. <Stop it!>

Temrash's laugh rang through my skull. It was his confident smirk on my lips.

Jake shook his head, deciding, like everyone, to ignore the unusual. "Yeah... I guess I just don't have your total skill."

Temrash shrugged again, going in for the kill. I returned to my private corner of brain space, but he forced me back out. Forced me to watch his art. "Well, I quit the team, anyway. A couple days ago." And that was true. Temrash had done his job with the basketball team and had moved on.

Jake looked like he was going to fall out of his chair. "You _quit_? You quit the team? And you didn't even talk to me about it? What's the deal?"

"I didn't say anything because I knew you and Dad would make a big thing of it." Only partially true. Mostly, he just didn't think about them as more than minor inconveniences. "Look, there are more important things than throwing balls through hoops." He carefully calculated a conspiratorial expression on my face. "Besides, we do much cooler stuff at The Sharing. Maybe you should just up."

Jake was stunned. He wouldn't agree. He'd be upset about the differences come between us. But, in the end, he'd decide it was his job to play catchup. He'd decide to try it out. Just like everyone.

Temrash was good at his job.


	3. Chapter Three (Learning)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Yeerks engage in a cover up.

Eventually, the call came. Two of our four occupants were out and the other swearing at papers, so Temrash didn't worry about being subtle. "What happened?" he asked Iniss.

"Well, yesterday, a Dome ship came in with a small fleet. It was enough to challenge our fleet and mothership, if not conquer it, but they weren't aware that we had built a Blade Ship. They're still not. Very little communication broke through, and we destroyed all of them. The dome was discharged into the Pacific, but it wasn't fast enough for the ship to save itself. Furthermore, we'd learned of Elfangor-Sirinial-Shamtul's arguments for action on the human homeworld, so our fleet was waiting when they came out of Z-Space.

"Some of the Tail-Fighters broke away, to the planet. We destroyed all but Elfangor-Sirinial-Shamtul's Tail-Fighter, which made it to the planet surface only badly damaged. As you may have seen, he was badly damaged as well. He attempted to bail, but did not make it far from his ship. There we tracked him.

"All traces of the ship were torn to atoms and subparticles. The prince was devoured by our esteemed leader, Visser Three. Then, a Hork-Bajir heard a noise and sent up a call. The only sign we found of anyone was the unhoused human which we killed. He appeared to have taken shelter in that building and probably had not seen the scene anyway.

"The police did get calls about the 'light show' last night. In fact, some even said that they had seen U.F.O.s. Every one of those convinced of something suspicious have been forcibly recruited. Of those merely spreading gossip, many are under watch or enfolded into the outer circle of The Sharing. A few were forcibly recruited." Temrash frowned at that. He didn't like forcible recruitment. It was always first come, first served in those cases; it took away his control and set back his waiting list. He should know. That was how he got me.

"The story on the lights and objects and minor destruction" Temrash barely avoided snorting at that. "is that some teenagers were shooting off fireworks. That's what we published in the paper. Along with some of the alien theorists, to make anyone spouting the idea look equally silly."

"Teenagers? We've decided to pursue the theory that kids may have seen?"

"Your host wasn't the only one to suspect. A few claimed that they had seen a child or two fleeing the scene, but not clearly. We've heard that one was blond. It's not really the popular theory, but better safe than sorry. If some kids did see aliens, it will only be a matter of time before they're exposed. Children love tall tales and wild gossip."

I was certain his experience as Vice Principal of a Junior High was tinting his perspective.

"Tivvin 614, Irlop 572, Rascha 468, and Inpil 421 are all out doing interviews. Posing as though the police are taking is seriously. All the same, you should broach the subject with your host's brother."

"Yes, of course." I screamed at him to leave Jake alone. He made a face at me in the window reflection, which Jake, approaching the front door, interpretted to be a face made at him. He made a face back, and Marco, tailing him, rolled his eyes, punched Jake in the shoulder, and said something. Temrash returned to his conversation. "So we're not having a meeting about it?"

"We'll draw in the Inner Circle during the barbeque. Night on the dunes after a lot of socializing. No one will notice. And the right people will already be there."

"I understand."

Iniss hung up. Aliens don't say goodbye. I walked past Jake's room to see Jake and Marco playing Dead Zone 5. I continued up to my room, where Temrash copied the answers from Iniss's notes into history homework, occasionally looking through my brain for answers so he could get an answer wrong. Aliens don't care about human history. Not when they're only here to destroy it. Math and science he excelled at easily. Literature was merely reading and regurgitating, so he only cheated occasionally. Language and grammar were easy for him to, since I already knew most of that, and, again, the rest was regurgitation. So there was Iniss, whose host could easily access or change the information required to keep the cover of teen hosts with busy secret alien lives.

Eventually, he put the pen down, tore up Iniss's answers, and crossed the hall. Jake and Marco were still playing. In silence. That was odd. "Hey, you guys," he greeted them. "Can I give that a try?"

Jake seemed to leap at the chance all too eagerly. He missed me. It wasn't me that he would get. "Sure," he said, and Marco moved over on the floor and held out the joystick.

Temrash played for a few minutes. He wasn't really interested in the game, only using it as a gateway. Still, he was embarrassingly good at it. <How did you end up in recruitment?> I wondered.

<Because I'm not fond of the idea of dying.>

<Really? How do you feel about the idea of having your every breath controlled by an alien invader?>

Temrash laughed at that, in our head. He showed no sign of our conversation on the outside. Eventually, he gave the joystick back to Marco and remained between the two, watching the screen. "You guys hear about all the stuff going on with the construction site last night?" he finally asked.

Marco jerked and lost a life in the game.

"What stuff?" asked Jake.

"It was in the newspaper." I would have rolled my eyes if I could. Yes, it was in the newspaper, but we didn't read the newspaper. "They said some kids were there shooting off fireworks. A bunch of morons who live around there decided it was flying saucers or something." He laughed. It sounded eerily natural. It sounded like me. "Flying saucers. Right."

Marco and Jake laughed. They did not sound natural. They sounded nervous. Had they heard the story already? Did they know someone who was there? Would the Yeerks steal them away too, just for associating with these people?

"Yeah. And it was just these kids playing with fireworks," Temrash continued.

"Uh-huh," said Jake, refocusing on the videogame.

"You were out at the mall last night, weren't you?" he recalled. No. He couldn't be pursuing that thought process again, could he? We knew that Jake had been home long before us. Temrash laughed at me again while Jake grunted again.

"Did you come back through the construction site?" he pushed.

Jake shook his head immediately. "No way."

"Didn't see any kids hanging around there, maybe?"

"Nope."

Temrash was suspicious. The answers were too fast, too short. The answers of someone hiding something. But he could also still be upset about me quitting the team. But he could merely be behaving as an obstinate teenager would. It proved nothing. "It's not like I'd get them in trouble," he said conspiratorially. "I mean, I think it's kind of cool. They're just shooting off fireworks, and they get all these people terrified of flying saucers."

"Uh-huh," Jake grunted again, scowling at the screen.

"Flying saucers." We laughed again. "Only complete dips believe that kind of stuff." He leaned toward Jake, and I screamed for him to back off, like Jake could catch Yeerk like the common cold. "You don't believe in that, do you? Aliens and spaceships and little green men from Mars."

Jake muttered, "No way."

Temrash seemed to find Jake's disinterest convincing. He nodded and stood. "Cool. You know, Jake, I feel like we haven't been hanging around much lately."

"I guess not," said Jake. With the foundations Temrash had laid, he should have jumped at that the same as he had with the offer to play the game with him. Instead, he had up the same walls as in the fireworks conversation. Temrash was quickly regaining interest.

"That's too bad," he said. Then he snapped his fingers and grinned. "You know, you should join The Sharing." Suddenly realizing there was another person there, he added, "Marco, too."

"Why should we join?" Marco challenged him.

I grinned again. "I gotta go." I punched Jake in the shoulder. The same place Marco had earlier. "See you guys later. And don't forget-- let me know if you hear anything about those kids at the construction site." When he got no response, he left. He paused in the hall. We didn't hear what the boys said to each other, but we did hear the ensuing scuffle.

My stomach twisted in knots while Temrash grinned victoriously. He was certain that he was on to something.


	4. Chapter Four (Meeting)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Temrash works on recruiting Jake and his friends.

Temrash was good at his job. That was what I assumed then, and it made me sick. It made me sick when my brother knocked on my door less than an hour later. "So... about that... Sharing thing."

Temrash very purposefully did not cause us to smile. But I could feel his grin. His predatory anticipation. "What about it?" he asked, flipping through my textbook and feigning a lack of interest.

"Is there... like... I mean if me and my friends just wanted to check it out? See what it was about?"

I looked up and smiled at him. I did that, no matter how hard I tried not to. "Tonight's a great meeting to come to," I say enthusiastically. "We're having a bonfire on the beach. You know, hanging out, playing games and stuff. We play night volleyball, which is funny because half the time guys can't even see the ball." <That's the lamest thing I've ever heard.> "It's great. It's the best organization. You'll love it."

He looked uncomfortable, but he was warming up. "Okay, sure. Tonight?"

"On the beach. Why don't I give you and Marco a ride?"

"Uh, it's more than me and Marco. I think we'd rather walk."

Temrash rifled through my memories quickly, then smiled knowingly. "You bringing Cassie?"

"I... what?"

"That's who you were on the phone with earlier, wasn't it?"

Jake started to say something. Instead, he left my room. I would have been relieved, were it not for Temrash's cocky confidence that the teasing would not keep him away, but draw him closer.

He was right. Temrash was always right.

I was surprised to see my cousin with him. She hadn't hung around much since the divorce. Temrash quickly noted the color of her hair. We didn't welcome them right away; he wanted them to make friends with other members. Instead, he spent his attention on a girl who had latched herself to my side. I had no idea who this person was, and I very much wanted her to get off of me. I kept an eye on them all the while. I watched them stick together, almost afraid. I watched Cassie break away in conversation about environmentalism with a girl about my age with dreadlocks. I watched Marco break away to flirt. I watched Rachel inch away bit by bit with new and old friends until, despite her best efforts, she wasn't anywhere near her cousin. I watched Jake finally warm up and accept an invitation to volleyball. Before the game started, I took a position next to him. I passed him a smile, and he smiled back, relaxed and reassured. I wanted to scream.

But I didn't. I didn't even try. Instead, I waited. I waited to risk everything.

The game finished, and I pulled Jake back toward the bonfire. "Now you see why I enjoy this?"

"It's cool," he admitted with a stupid grin. "I didn't realize it was so much fun."

"Well, that's not _all_ this is," I said. "I mean, it's more than just fun. The Sharing can do all kinds of things for you. Once you're a full member."

Jake wasn't really paying attention to the salespitch. "How do you get to be a full member?" he asked.

Temrash smiled mysteriously. "Oh, that will come later. First you become and associate member. Later the leaders will decide whether to ask you to become a full member." He looked at us. I gathered every ounce of will I still had. Temrash was fully engrossed in the potential recruit in front of him. "Once you become a full member... the whole world changes."

I twitched.

_I_ twitched.

Jake looked bothered, but he didn't say anything. Temrash regained control, made plenty of promises, and smoothed my features again. He checked my watch. "I have to go for a while now," I said. "The full members have a separate meeting. You guys stay here and have fun. Have some more of that barbeque. It's great, isn't it?" He left without any further comment.

Aliens don't say goodbye.

I went back to my own corner of brainspace, not needing to pay attention to their alien conspiracies, so long as Jake was safe. But Temrash followed me. <Idiot!> he snarled angrily.

<You can't have my brother. Anyone but my family.>

<Don't you get it? If that stupid little twitch convinces him... If he does anything other than blow it off or tell your parents that he thinks you have medical issues, that seals his fate. He's someone who knows. He'll be forcibly recruited if he's not _eaten_ , and I'm down another host!>

"Is this meeting going to start or what?" asked Katie. Specifically, whatever was between Katie's ears.

Temrash left me alone. "He should be here soon," he muttered, joining the group gathered out of sight. There was movement in my peripheral vision, and I turned. "Wait, here he comes."

Chapman joined the group. "Everyone, quiet. We have problems." His eyes scanned the group. "Item one. We still have not found the brats who were at the construction site." Well, that was different. Earlier, he hadn't been convinced there were any brats. "I want them found. Visser Three wants them found." Ah, well that explained it. "Does anyone have any clues?"

I could feel Temrash's debate. <Don't you dare!>

<Like I'm getting killed over your whining. You'll adjust. Just like you adjusted to everything else.>

<Leave him alone!>

"It could have been anyone," my mouth says. "But it _might_ be the one who's my brother, Jake."  <Stop! Stop stop stop!> "I know he goes through the construction site sometimes. That's why I brought him here tonight." <Leave him alone!> "So we could either make him ours..." <Shut up!> "or kill him." Temrash didn't like to kill; it lost him hosts. But it kept up appearances to pretend. I screamed at him anyway. How dare he throw Jake under the bus! He was just an innocent kid!

Chapman rolled his eyes. "There's not going to be any killing at a gathering of this organization." He looked out over the group. "We will have no suspicious activities in relation to The Sharing. It is more important now than ever before that our activities stay secret, that our appearance be unsullied. We can't go around grabbing every child who _might_ have been at the construction site. A lot of kids hang out or cut through there. The best playgrounds, in their opinions, are the dangerous and forbidden ones."

"It seems to me that human children want to die," someone joked. Chapman gave them a Look. They shut up.

"We need to be certain," Chapman continued. "If you suspect anyone, you report them and you tail them. You learn as much as you can, but you do not expose the secret. Our cover is our most important asset. It will be sacrificed for nothing."

I nodded in agreement, as did others. Jake still wasn't safe. I still had to do what very little I could. Even if it meant sacrificing everything.

<You're an idiot. You'll get them all killed.>

<Dead is a form of safe.>

<Oh, you're a philosopher now. Let's see how you feel about that when Dracons rip a hole in your father. When a Hork tears your brother's head off. When Taxxons consume your mom alive.>

I returned to my corner of brainspace.

From there, they went about talking about assignments. Temrash never got new assignments. He was good at his job. He was, however, told to pressure information on the construction site kids from anyone he had his claws in.

At one point, there was a fuss nearby. Temrash recognized the voice of Irlop 572's host, a local police officer. He turned to look out into the darkness, but he couldn't see anything. He returned his attention to the group.

The guy who schedules feedings asked Temrash how long he could go. "I've just been, as you know, and I feel fine. Strong. I can last until Monday." This was true. Temrash had, on schedule, gone just before heading to the meeting. I chose not to think about what he may have been planning to do if Jake and Marco had accepted his offer to drive them.

"Monday night?"

"Yes."

That was written down. He continued asking the other recruits.

<He has nothing to do with it, slug. You'll see. He's innocent.>

<Good. Because I have the perfect comrade for his skull.>


	5. Chapter Five (Changing)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Temrash continues to live Tom's life under increasing suspicion, but the war has come and he finds himself changing his plans.

I sat down for dinner on Monday. Me, my mom, my dad. My dad's name is Steve Berenson. He's a pediatrician. If Mom is 43, then he's 44. Usually. I'm pretty sure he's alive. I saw him a few weeks ago. That doesn't mean a lot these days.

Mom had given up on Jake and was serving the food when he finally returned. "Where have you been all afternoon and evening?" she demanded.

"Where have I been?" he repeated, pausing like a deer in the headlights. "Um... Hanging out. You know. Hanging with Marco." He took a seat across from me.

"I don't know why you bother to ask," Dad joked. "His answer is always the same -- hanging out."

"So what did you do at work today, Dad?" Jake asked, quickly changing the subject.

"Hung out," he replied, winking at Jake. I laughed on cue. So did Jake and Dad. Mom laughed but rolled her eyes. All the while, my focus stayed on Jake. Well, it was on Jake when it wasn't on the chicken cacciatore. Temrash liked chicken cacciatore. He liked a lot of things my mom made, though he thought others needed improvement. He had a lot of opinions on food. Trior 421 isn't a lot different in that respect.

Jake focused on me again. "You doing anything tonight, Tom?"

I scowled. "Why?"

Jake shrugged and turned his attention back to his plate. "You know, I was thinking maybe we could shoot some hoops. Maybe you could teach me some new moves, and I could take another shot at making the team."

There was nothing I wanted more. "Sorry, man," I said. "I have things to do tonight." And I did. Alien things.

"Yeah, like what?" Jake pushed.

"Hanging out, no doubt," Mom interrupted. "Eat the broccoli, Jake, it's good for you. It's full of trace minerals and vitamins you can't get anywhere else."

"Okay," Jake agreed, rolling his eyes. "You know how much I love trace minerals." He took a tiny piece and somehow managed to choke it down.

Temrash's fork paused on the plate. <What's wrong with broccoli?> he asked.

<Picky eater,> I informed him only because broccoli wasn't something I wanted to argue about.

"So, Tom, what was it you said you were doing?"

Temrash snapped to attention. Nerves buzzed with anticipation. He shot Jake a warning glare. "Do I have to check in with you now? I have things to do. Is that okay, little brother?"

"A girl," our dad decided. "I know these things. I'm a doctor." Yeah, Temrash is whore, Dad. A complete stranger would have guessed that it was a girl. A girl who was about to lose everything. But that wasn't what he planned that night.

Jake glared at Dad. It was entirely suspicious. I prayed he would stop digging. I prayed he would stop giving Temrash reasons to pursue the theory. He continued to shove food around on his plate, apparently lacking appetite, and I lowered my eyes once more.

"Maybe you're just afraid to shoot hoops with me. Maybe I'd kick your butt."

I sneered. "Yeah, that's it. Happy now?" My eyes met his. <Come on,> Temrash silently goaded. <Show your true color.>

<My brother isn't an alien,> I snarled.

<You're not an alien,> he countered.

Jake broke our gaze and refocused on his dinner. He shoved a piece of broccoli under the table to Homer, who still definitely was not an Andalite because Blue would never be handfed by a lesser being.

The cages were the only place where I could be myself. Be myself in a screaming hell. Not that I wasn't contributing. That was all I really had anymore. Yelling at Hork-Bajir.

I saw Irlop 572 pulling along a girl who looked familiar. I couldn't remember why she looked familiar. My recall was slowly becoming poorer the more I become accustomed to a space slug accessing my memories for me. Temrash was right. I would adjust. To everything. Even once this place was nothing more than gravel and spaceships and weapons plants and pens of hosts as far as the eye can see, I would adjust. Because I didn't have a choice anymore.

There was a woman thrown into the cage next to me, screaming for somebody, anybody to help her. I don't know who she thought that was. There was no war on earth. Blue doesn't care. We were alone and helpless and no one was saving us.

And then an elephant trumpeted.

An elephant.

We were miles underground in a secret alien cave thing. And I was fairly certain I'd just heard an elephant. Or I dunno... some sort of train? New tech?

An elephant.

Could Blue be elephants?

I grabbed the cage bars and looked. <Puny little nothing! You attack ME?!>

Okay, so I had the idea that Blues were egotistical (according to their enemies) but... Really?

<Yeah. An elephant.>

Do Blues even talk to Yeerks?

<More Hork-Bajir coming!>

I clung to the bars, but I couldn't see anything past the Hork-Bajir.

And then there was a vicious, powerful roar. That was when the chaos really started. I backed away from the cage door, but I was ginning. I was happy. _Kill them,_ I hoped. _Kill every single filthy slug you can get your hands on._

A gorilla tossed a Hork-Bajir. I could see parts of the animals in the distance. The top of an elephant. The back legs of a tiger.

<Just call me King. King Kong.>

I froze. An Andalite wouldn't... Would Blue... I don't...

I looked around. No one seemed to notice. Maybe I... I'm confused.

<Now! Before they get organized again!> They broke through. They were getting closer. They were coming right for the cages.

Thank you, magic fairy.

And then there was the gorilla. He was ripping the lock off of the cage. But, of course, he was a gorilla. The humans inside didn't understand. They were frightened. I was stunned. I stared at him. There was no way that this was happening.

The gorilla looked at us. Then, it made a little bow and crooked it's finger, like beckoning a kitten.

Blues don't have kittens... Maybe... alien kittens? What was he...?

_No. Move._ I moved. I fled. The tiger was coming toward me. What did...?

But it stopped. It turned its head back and forth, debating. And then it raced for the pool. The girl Irlop brought it was being dragged to the pool. Something swooped down from the ceiling. Some bird, screeching and powerful.

I ran. I ran for the stairs. The other freed hosts ran with me, including Hork-Bajir. I don't know what they thought awaited them, but they weren't going to turn away from a chance. I like that, I think. The gorilla and elephant backed us up, throwing recruits out of our way. Taking hits for us.

But they were starting to organize. More and more appeared with weapons. They were beginning to block the tiger and the... horse? What is a horse going to do? Really not familiar with this planet, are you? I mean a horse hurts, but not nearly as much as a tiger or elephant.

<Up and over!> They blew past the resisting line.

The stairs. The stairs. The stairs.

The Andalite.

<This Taxxon fool says you are wild animals. He wants to know if he and his brothers can eat you. But I know you are not animals. I know who and what you are. So. Not all of you Andalites died when I burned your ship.> Stairs. Stairs. Stairs. <I compliment you on getting this far. But it will accomplish nothing. Because now, my brave Andalite warriors, it is time. Time to die.> I didn't have to turn to look. I could hear it. <I acquired this body on the fourth moon of the second planet of a dying star. Like it?>

I rolled my eyes. "Oh my god, shut up," I groaned, smacking a recruit in the head just as she reached me.

<Run! Up the stairs!>

<Yes, run. It makes a more challenging target.>

One of the two hosts that had climbed onto the horse, was struck by a ball of fire. She screamed in pain and terror. The Taxxons didn't wait for her to stop burning.

<Target practice!>

_BOOMF. BOOMF. BOOMF. BOOMF BOOMF BOOMF BOOMF BOOMFBOOMFBOOMFBOBOMFOMFBOMF_

The stupid quips weren't funny anymore.

I tripped on the stairs. In the time it took for me to stand, Taxxons had swarmed around me. I swore at them. I dared them to just try to bite me. I had freedom now. I could taste it. There wasn't a way in hell I was going down without a fight. There wasn't a way in hell that I was going back to the way things used to be.

<Honey, I'm home.> When my eyes opened again, it was by his will. All of it gone. A dream? <I heard things got interesting while I was gone. Let's see what's inside.>

<What? No, I-- AGH!>

Yeah. An elephant. Just call me King. King Kong. Crooked finger. Save the single human girl.

<Oh, this is fascinating.>

<GET OUT! GET OUTGETOUT!>

Elephant and gorilla both rescue me. Elephant fell and disappeared. Demorph. An Andalite would have been noticeable.

Tiger, tiger, burning bright.

No options. Nothing left. Screaming at the one creature I would definitely never survive.

Tom!

The fall.

A paw extended. A roar of anguish. Those desperate eyes. The turn. The attack. The fury.

An ecstatic laugh was pushed past my lips. <I smell a promotion.>

<No! No, you're wrong!>

I pushed up off the medical cot. "Yeah, he's fine. I have control back," I tell the medic. "I would like to talk to Iniss two-two-six as soon as possible."

"The overseer is with the Visser. If you're fine, you should hurry to hear them. They're in the volunteer area."

I nod, and I hurry. I'm not halfway there when I hear That Voice in my head. <No wild animals are that coordinated! We know now that Andalites are here! Four to five of them! They must be found! They must be eliminated!>

I stop dead in my tracks. Inside, I grin. <Go ahead, slug. Tell your man-eating boss that he's wrong.>


End file.
